By Arun Pratap SinghGarhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 22 Jan: Political activity in Uttarakhand’s Terai region has intensified sharply following the emergence of a land encroachment controversy surrounding Gadarpur MLA Arvind Pandey. Amid this controversy, some prominent BJP leaders had yesterday announced a plan for a visit to Pandey today, ostensibly to express support and solidarity with him. However, as the day progressed today, the proposed tour of Haridwar MP Trivendra Singh Rawat, Pauri MP Anil Baluni and Haridwar MLA Madan Kaushik was abruptly cancelled, further fuelling widespread political speculation.
Following the cancellation of the proposed meeting, it is being speculated that pressure by the party high command has led to the postponement of the proposed tour of these leaders. It may be reminded here that Pandey is currently finding himself encircled on multiple fronts in the alleged land grab case in Rudrapur, triggering a political storm that has spilled over from the plains of Udham Singh Nagar to the corridors of power in Dehradun and New Delhi.
The controversy has seen former BJP MLA Rajesh Shukla who is considered to be very close to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Rudrapur Mayor Vikas Sharma openly taking on Arvind Pandey, On the other hand, former minister and Didihat MLA Bishan Singh Chufal has already met Pandey at his residence, reflecting clear divisions within the party over the issue. Pandey’s statements over the past several days have remained in headlines, particularly after he was served a notice by the district administration in connection with an alleged encroachment. The notice has asked him to vacate the encroached land within 15 days, a development that further heated up the political atmosphere in the state.
Amid this backdrop, a plan was drawn up for a meeting in Gadarpur involving Haridwar MP Trivendra Singh Rawat, Pauri MP Anil Baluni and former state BJP president and Haridwar MLA Madan Kaushik. The proposed visit immediately set off intense discussions in political circles, as all three leaders are presently alleged to be maintaining a cold relationship with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and his faction within the party. The meeting, scheduled for today, was to take place at a time when Union Home Minister and former BJP president Amit Shah is in Uttarakhand, adding to its political significance. These leaders were scheduled to fly in a chopper to Gadarpur to meet Pandey today.
However, even before it could materialise, news emerged that the meeting at Pandey’s residence in Gadarpur had been cancelled.
Party sources indicated that the central leadership intervened in the matter, following which the three leaders decided to stay back in Haridwar for the time being. Earlier, the plan was for all three leaders to depart from Haridwar around 1 p.m. by helicopter for Gadarpur. As soon as details of the proposed visit surfaced on social media, speculation began swirling across the state. Some political analysts had interpreted the move as an attempt to placate Arvind Pandey following his sharp remarks about Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, while others viewed it as a signal of internal dissent.
Sources within the party further claimed that pressure from national party leaders prompted Trivendra Singh Rawat, Anil Baluni and Madan Kaushik to suspend their plan to meet Arvind Pandey, who is facing legal trouble and has emerged as a vocal critic of the Dhami government during recent months. It is also pertinent to note that Anil Baluni currently serves as the national media coordinator of the BJP and is widely regarded as a close confidant of Amit Shah, a factor that lends additional weight to the developments.
It may be recalled that Arvind Pandey has been in the spotlight not only over the encroachment notice but also due to his outspoken stance in the Kashipur farmer Sukhwant Singh suicide case, in which he has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. Following these remarks, the encroachment notice was issued, linking administrative action with political overtones in the eyes of many observers. Pandey, however, has asserted that he will continue to present his views without fear. Some analysts link the current troubles of Pandey to his recent outbursts against the Dhami Government.
Pandey is a senior BJP leader and a sitting MLA from the Gadarpur Assembly constituency in Udham Singh Nagar district. He had previously served as a Cabinet minister in the Trivendra Singh Rawat government. Pandey began his political journey early and, had become the youngest Nagar Palika chairman in the then Uttar Pradesh when he was elected in Bajpur in 1997.
Today’s now-cancelled programme is a development that had been attributed multiple political meanings. The sudden cancellation has only intensified the buzz, with talk gaining ground that the winds of this political storm have reached Delhi. With Union Home Minister Amit Shah being in Haridwar, today, many within the party believe his presence in the state is also a key reason why the meeting was called off, which is an indication of the seriousness with which the central leadership is supposedly viewing the unfolding situation in Uttarakhand. It may also be stated here that yesterday, at a function, Home Minister Amit Shah had very generously praised Dhami’s leadership.
About The Author
